How can SHL balance the depth of its personality assessments with the time required for candidates to complete them?

Introduction

Balancing the depth of SHL's personality assessments with the time required for candidates to complete them is a critical trade-off that impacts both the quality of insights and the user experience. This scenario involves weighing the benefits of comprehensive assessments against the potential for candidate fatigue and dropout rates. I'll approach this by analyzing the current product, identifying key metrics, designing experiments, and providing a data-driven recommendation.

Step 1

Clarifying Questions (3 minutes)

• Based on the current market trends, I'm thinking candidate experience is becoming increasingly important. Could you share how our completion rates compare to industry benchmarks?

Why it matters: Helps gauge the urgency of addressing assessment length Expected answer: Completion rates are slightly below industry average Impact on approach: Would prioritize user experience improvements

• Considering our business model, I assume shorter assessments might impact pricing. How does assessment length currently factor into our pricing strategy?

Why it matters: Informs potential revenue implications of changes Expected answer: Longer assessments command premium pricing Impact on approach: Would need to balance revenue considerations with user experience

• Looking at our user segments, I'm curious about the distribution of assessment takers. What percentage of our users are high-volume enterprise clients versus individual job seekers?

Why it matters: Helps tailor solutions to most impactful user segments Expected answer: 70% enterprise, 30% individual users Impact on approach: Would focus on enterprise needs while improving individual experience

• Regarding our technical capabilities, I'm wondering about our current assessment delivery system. How flexible is our platform in terms of modular assessment design?

Why it matters: Determines feasibility of adaptive testing approaches Expected answer: Platform supports some modularity, but major changes would require significant development Impact on approach: Would consider both short-term optimizations and long-term platform enhancements

• Thinking about our product roadmap, how does improving assessment efficiency align with our current quarterly objectives?

Why it matters: Ensures alignment with overall product strategy Expected answer: High priority for Q3-Q4 objectives Impact on approach: Would justify allocation of resources and accelerated timeline